il·lu·mi·nate
i-ˈlü-mə-ˌnāt 
illuminated; illuminating
1
a(1)
: to supply or brighten with light
(2)
: to make luminous or shining
b
: to enlighten spiritually or intellectually
c
: to subject to radiation
d
archaic
: to set alight
2
3
: to make illustrious or resplendent
4
: to decorate (something, such as a manuscript) with gold or silver or brilliant colors or with often elaborate designs or miniature pictures
il·lu·mi·nate
i-ˈlü-mə-nət
1
archaic
: brightened with light
2
archaic
: intellectually or spiritually enlightened
il·lu·mi·nate
i-ˈlü-mə-nət
archaic
: one having or claiming unusual enlightenment
Examples of illuminate in a Sentence
Verb
the part of the moon illuminated by the sun
A university study has illuminated the problem.
Recent Examples on the Web
Ed Gaskin, Boston Herald, 4 July 2025
Nights are now the shortest, and the time that a satellite in low Earth orbit (like the ISS and Tiangong) can remain illuminated by the sun can extend throughout the night, a situation that can never be attained during other times of the year.
—Joe Rao, Space.com, 3 July 2025
Martin includes a short, illuminating chapter on the early history of the colleges, both founded by Protestant denominations, that became HT, the oldest institution of higher learning in Austin.
—Michael Barnes, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025
While a little moonlight can help illuminate the landscape, too much of it will make the Milky Way harder to see.
—Diana Leyva, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for illuminate
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Verb
Just as Baldwin illuminated Douglass’s historical critique, Ta-Nehisi Coates has extended this analysis to contemporary America.
—Ed Gaskin, Boston Herald, 4 July 2025
Nights are now the shortest, and the time that a satellite in low Earth orbit (like the ISS and Tiangong) can remain illuminated by the sun can extend throughout the night, a situation that can never be attained during other times of the year.
—Joe Rao, Space.com, 3 July 2025
Martin includes a short, illuminating chapter on the early history of the colleges, both founded by Protestant denominations, that became HT, the oldest institution of higher learning in Austin.
—Michael Barnes, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025
While a little moonlight can help illuminate the landscape, too much of it will make the Milky Way harder to see.
—Diana Leyva, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for illuminate
Cite this Entry
“Illuminate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/illuminate. Accessed 14 Jul. 2025.
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